Sabres Hall of Fame Defenseman
Born in Minnesota and drafted sixth overall in the first round of the 1982 NHL entry draft by the Buffalo Sabres, Phil Housley made the quantum leap from High School to the NHL at age 17 and quickly became a fan favorite and a feared foe. During his 21 seasons in the league – eight played in Buffalo – he appeared in 1495 games, scoring 338 goals, adding 894 assists and earning 1232 points, the most for any U.S. born player in the history of the NHL. He earned a spot on the NHL Rookie Team in 1983 and played in six NHL All Star Games.
His tenure with the Sabres was accentuated by playing in 643 games and setting the team record for all time points by a defenseman with 558.
Housley was a member of the 2002 US Olympic Hockey Team, winning a Silver Medal in the Salt Lake City games. One of the most popular players to ever wear the Blue and Gold, Housley was inducted into the Buffalo Sabres Hall of Fame in February of this year.